Expats Now Follow New Family Sponsorship Policy in the UAE

Expats will not be bothered by job titles for them to sponsor their dependents. This comes after the new family sponsorship policy came into effect recently. The Cabinet decided on the policy earlier this year.

The law allows any UAE resident, male or female, to sponsor family members, who can be a spouse, a son who is under 18, or an unmarried daughter. The condition is that he or she must be earning a salary of Dh4,000 or at least Dh3,000 and residential property in Dubai provided by the company. This is according to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC).

Previously, the minister of the UAE in Human Resources and Emiratisation, Nasser bin Thani Juma Al Hamli, remarked that the cabinet must consider the income of foreign worker applicants instead of their professions for them to bring their families to the UAE. This will improve the quality of lives and social ties of all private-sector workers.

Atty. Barney Almazar, the director of Gulf Law, said that this new policy on family sponsorship eases the requirements without jeopardizing the state’s interests. Almazar added that the criterion on the profession for sponsorship is outdated and that replacing it with income enables the law to include skilled workers and not only the professionals.

He also added that it is common to find skilled workers who are promoted to higher salary grades but cannot end up in managerial positions due to the lack of an educational degree. Now they can sponsor their dependents by simply demonstrating that they can support their dependents through their income.

The Application Process

It is important for the family members to have insurance policies for as long as they live with the person sponsoring them. They must register with the appropriate authorities including their population record. They are also required to apply for the Emirates ID. The sponsored dependents can stay in the UAE for as long as the residency status of the sponsor remains valid.

Maj. Gen. Saeed Rakan Al Rashdi, the director-general of Foreigners Affairs and Ports at the FAIC, said that the decision will enable expats in the UAE to enhance their productivity and contribution to the region’s economy. He added that the policy will pave the way for the UAE to become one of the world’s happiest countries.